A tear wells up in President Barack Obama eye as he speaks about the youngest victims of the Sandy Hook shootings, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. while speaking about steps his administration is taking to reduce gun violence.

PARTISAN RESPONSE

Inland congressmen responded largely along party lines Tuesday to President Barack Obama's actions.

Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona: "The president's actions today go a step beyond his previous regulatory overreach by restricting constitutionally protected rights in a manner that itself is a violation of the policy-making powers the Constitution reserves for Congress.

"Americans are understandably concerned by any source of violence that may threaten them or their loved ones. I am once again disappointed that rather than having a meaningful conversation about the root causes of violence, President Obama is once again trying to restrict a fundamental, constitutionally-protected right."

Rep. Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley: "Regardless of how you feel about Second Amendment rights, no president should create the equivalent of new laws through executive order. The courts have struck down numerous Obama executive orders where he exceeded his constitutional authority, and I expect the president's actions today will meet the same fate."

"(The president's) actions would allow Washington bureaucrats to one day regulate every private gun owner just as they would a dealer, making it effectively impossible to transfer or sell a legally-owned firearm. Additionally, today's actions included a directive to the Department of Health and Human Services that would remove important privacy safeguards for Americans' mental health records by allowing transfer of those records from states to a federal database."

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine: "The president has an aversion to the Second Amendment, and the fact that he's preparing new regulations, which are likely not to make a difference where actually needed, underscores his personal resentment toward this fundamental constitutional right.

"There needs to be far more focus on mental health and keeping guns out of the hands of people who are intent on harming others. Preventing law-abiding citizens from exercising their right, as the president has tried, won't stop the type of violence we all want to prevent."

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Riverside: "The executive actions announced today will make us safer. Expanding background checks, bolstering enforcement of existing gun laws and improving mental health services are all important steps to protecting our communities. These policies recognize the rights of law-abiding gun owners, while making it more difficult for those who would commit a violent crime to purchase a firearm.

"However, a long-term solution to our gun violence epidemic can only come from Congress. Today's executive actions do not fill the void left by Republicans who have repeatedly blocked even basic gun control legislation."

Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Redlands: "I'm glad to see the president take action to address the gun violence epidemic that has plagued American cities and towns from San Bernardino to Newtown.

"Children should be able to go to school and feel safe, families should be able to go to movie theaters and not worry, and men and women should be able to go to work every day without fear."

"Responsible gun owners and I agree that high-risk individuals, terrorists, domestic violence abusers, convicted criminals, and those that suffer mental illness inclined to hurt themselves and others should not be allowed to purchase weapons. Although I prefer congressional legislation over presidential executive actions, doing nothing is irresponsible."

Survivors of San Bernardino’s recent mass shooting and families hit by the tragedy reacted Tuesday to President Obama’s call to tighten gun regulations.

In a sometimes tearful speech, the president recounted some of the high-profile mass shootings in recent years and talked about what could be done to cut down on such incidents. One of his primary focuses was on requiring background checks on all gun purchases.

At least one surviving family attended the White House speech. Karen Fagan, the ex-wife of San Bernardino shooting victim Harry Bowman, was in the room.

“It was so amazing,” said Fagan, of Upland. “I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place as he was speaking.”

Fagan was accompanied by two daughters she had with Bowman, Fagan’s husband, Bowman’s mother and his siblings. They were among about 200 audience members, including other families affected by gun violence.

“I think that his plans are long overdue and necessary,” she said.

Jennifer Thalasinos, who lost her husband, Nicholas, 52, in the San Bernardino shooting, said she didn’t think Obama’s efforts would do much good.

“If somebody wants to get a gun, they’re going to get a gun,” Thalasinos said.

Thalasinos said she is a gun-rights advocate, and the San Bernardino incident didn’t change her stance.

“If anything it’s made it stronger,” she said.

She imagines that during the shooting her husband was probably thinking that if someone in the room had had a concealed carry permit, it might have made a difference.

George Velasco, the uncle of San Bernardino shooting victim Yvette Velasco, 27, of Fontana, said Obama was following through on what he had told family members he met during his Dec. 18 visit to the Inland area.

“I definitely agree with it,” Velasco said.

Renee Wetzel, whose husband Michael, a 37-year-old supervising environmental health specialist for San Bernardino County, was one of the victims, said she agrees with Obama's plan.

"I think that if there is no malicious intent behind the purchase of a gun then there should be no problem with having a stricter background check," Renee Wetzel said. "I just wish this was put into action sooner."

Wetzel also said there ought to be a database that tracks ammunition purchases.

"There is a record kept of who purchases Sudafed, but no similar record for bullets," she said. "If everyone had to show identification to purchase bullets there could be a flagging system for people that buy exorbitant amounts. And it just might save lives."

Robel Tekleab, whose brother-in-law Isaac Amanios was killed in the Dec. 2 attack, also was supportive of Obama's plan.

“I thought he felt our pain personally before, but today even more so,” said Tekleab, who caught the speech later in the day. “He showed us how he felt, and I am glad he is doing everything in his power.”

Not everyone tuned in to the president’s speech. James Godoy, whose wife, Aurora, was killed Dec. 2, hadn’t heard about Obama’s plan to expand background checks for gun purchases.

Godoy, of San Jacinto, said he supports efforts to keep assault weapons out of the hands of criminals. But he doubts whether new rules would do much to reduce gun violence.

“It wouldn’t affect people getting guns illegally,” Godoy said. “Someone could go get a gun right away and shoot up wherever, regardless of the laws.”

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